Permutation-padlock.



J. L. COOK.

PERMUTATION PADLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1915.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Jwwz-m JAMES L. COOK, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

PERMUTATION-PADLOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Permutation-Padlock, of which the following is a specification.

The purposes of the invention are to provide a permutation padlock without a dial,

or clicks, or numerical indicators, so constructed and arranged that it may be operated in the light without using the eyes, or may, with equal facility, be operated in the .dark; to provide a padlock comprising among other elements, a series of permutablc members, capable of variable diametrically opposite settings; a series of operating-members complemental to the permutable members and rotative independently of each other relative to the permutable members, and means for positively limiting the scope of rotation of the respective Operatingmembers conformably to the setting of the respective permutable members; to provide a permutation padlock without a dial, or clicks, or visible numerical indicators and having a series of movable elements capable of a large number of permutations relative i to each other; to provide a permutation padlock, simple in construction, attractive in appearance and effective in operation; to provide improved structural details adapted to facilitate the assembling of the parts, as

hereinafter described; and to provide other new and useful features of construction and combinations of parts.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing to which reference is hereby made, and will be hereinafter described and tion on the line Y. Y. of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line Z. Z. of Fig.

3; and Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line W. W. of Fig. 4.

Similar reference numerals designate like parts in the different views, Y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 26, 1915.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916. Serial No. 41,980.

All the parts of the lock are of metal. I prefer to use the metal aluminum for the principal parts of the lock on account of the lightness of that metal and on account of the facility with which an attractive finish may be given to the external surfaces of the look, but any other suitable metal or metals, may be used without departure from my invention.

The core shown in detail in Figs. 3, 6 and 7 comprises a circular head 1, having a notch 12 adapted to accommodate the free end of a shackle; a polygonal stem 2, central with respect to the head and rigidly connected therewith; disks 3 having notches 4, also having polygonal central holes5 accommodating the polygonal stem 2; circular spacers 6 separating the disks 3, each spacer having a central hole 7, accommodating the stem 2; a screw 8 engaging in the lower end of the stem to rigidly connect together the head, the stem, the disks and the spacers; and a shackle 9 connected with the head 1 by a pivot 10, the free terminal of the shackle being adapted to enter the notch 12 in the head 1.

The sleeve, designated as a whole by the number 13 is shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 8. Its internal diameter is somewhat larger than the diameter of the disks 3, in order that the core may be introduced into the sleeve and may slide therein. Adjacent to one end of the sleeve is a ring 14 rigid on the sleeve. Parts of the metal of the sleeve are cut away to leave arcuate bars 15 separated by vertical spaces 24 and by horizontal spaces 16, and to form stops 17. The spaces 16 and 24 are adapted to accommodate pins 21, which traverse the spaces as hereinafter described. The sleeve 13 has a longitudinal slotl8, adapted to accommodate the pin 19, (Fig. 5) rigid on the lower disk 3, and the pin engaging against the walls of the slot guides vertical slidingof the core and prevents rotation of the core in the sleeve.

Operating-rings 20 surround the sleeve 13 and are adapted to rotatethereon. Radial pins 21 are rigid on the rings 20 and extend inwardly through the spaces 16 in the sleeve 13 and into the spaces 22 between the disks 3, and during the rotation of the rings, to the right or left as the case may be, the pins traverse the spaces and strike against the right hand stop or stops 17 or the left hand stop or stops, as the case may be, to limit the scope of rotation of the rings.

A cap 23 surrounds the lower part of the sleeve 13 and when the parts are assembled the cap will be permanently attached to the sleeve.

To assemble the parts, the shackle 9 will be pivotally connected with the head 1 and the stem 2 will be rigidly connected with the head; a spacer 6 will be placed on the stem adjacent to head 1; then a disk 3 and another spacer 6 will be placed on the stem, and so on until all the spacers and all the disks eX- cept the last are in place on the stem; the core will then be inserted in the sleeve 13; the first or uppermost operating-ring 20 will be slipped onto the sleeve with the pin 21 on the ring in position to traverse the longitudinal spaces 24 and the core will be partially rotated to the right, or to the left, as the case may be, to permit the ring to slide upward on the sleeve until the ring 20 stops against the fixed ring 14; and the other rings in succession will be placed on the sleeve and slid upward into place in like manner. When all the rings 20 are in place the last disk will be placed in the sleeve with the pin 19 in the slot 18 and the screw 8 will then be inserted in the hole in the end of the stem to securely connect all the spacers and all the disks with the head.

Here it will be noted that the longitudinal spaces 24 facilitate the placing of the rings '20 on the sleeve, for if there were no spaces 24, the pins 21 would have to be detached from the rings on the sleeve and when the rings were in place the pins would have to be again connected with the rings; the use of a sleeve having longitudinal spaces 24; admits of the use of permanent pins 21 on the rings 20, and obviates the necessity for detaching the pins in order to place the rings on the sleeve and the replacing of the pins on the rings when the rings are in position on the sleeve.

The polygonal stem and the disks having central polygonal holes adapted to accommodate the stem are complemental to each other and admit of variable settings of the disks on the stem so that the notches 4 of the disks may all be on the right hand side of the stem or may all be on the left hand side of the stem, or the notch of one disk may be on one side of the stem and the notches of a plurality of other disks may be on the other side of the stem; or the notches of some disks may be on one side of the stem and the notches of other disks may be on the other side of the stem; it is obvious therefore, that the permutations of the lock may be varied according to the differentsettings of the disks on the stem.

After the core has been placed in the sleeve and the rings 20 have been placed on the sleeve as described, the cap 23 will be placed on and permanently connected with the lower part of the sleeve 13, and the permanent ring 14 and the permanent cap 23 will prevent displacement of the operating rings 20.

Partial rotation of a ring or rings 20 to the right will cause the pin connected with the ring or the pins connected with the rings, to travel to the right in the spaces 16 and 22, and conversely, partial rotation of a ring or rings to the left will cause the pin connected with the ring or the pins connected with the rings to travel to the left in the spaces 16 and 22. The pins 21 will strike against the right hand stops 17 to limit the scope of the clockwise rotation of the rings, and the pins will strike against the left hand stops to limit the scope of the counter-clockwise rotations of the rings.

In practice, each ring will be rotated to the right or to the left as the case may be, until its pin strikes against the right-hand stop or the left-hand stop as the case may be. When all the pins 21 are at rest against the stops 17, each pin will be in line with notch 41; of the disk 3 immediately below that pin so that the core may be slid upward to withdraw the shackle from the sleeve so that the shackle may turn on its pivot, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

For convenience in description, let it be assumed that the disks 3 are placed on the stem 2 so that the notch 4 of the first or uppermost disk will be on the right-hand side of the stem, the notch of the second disk will be on the left-hand side of the stem; the notch of the third disk will be on the right-hand side of the stem, and so on downward, the notches 4: being alternately right-hand and left-hand as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. It is to be understood however, that a large number of permutations of the disks may be made and the mode of operation will vary according to the permutations of the disks.

The disks being arranged as shown in Fig. 3, the operation will be as follows: The first or uppermost ring 20 will be turned to the right until its pin 21 strikes the corresponding right-hand stop 17 of the sleeve 13, the second ring will be turned to the left until its pin strikes the corresponding left-hand stop, and so on for all the other rings. When all the rings have been operated as described the right-hand pins will be in line with the right-hand notches of the disks and the lefthand pins will be in line with the left-hand notches of the disks and the core may be slid upward to withdraw the upper part of the head 1 from the shell so that the shackle may be opened.

polygonal holes accommodating the stem admit of placing the disks on thestem'in such position that when the pins 21 are against the stops 17, the respectivepinswill be in alinement with the notches 4 of the respective complemental disks.

The expression operating members .used

herein, signifies mechanical elements such as rings or other devices, capable of movement relative to stationary stops and adapted to cooperate with complemental elements such as disks or'other devices capable of variable permutation. The expression permutable members signifies mechanical elements capable of variable permutations relative to each other.

I do not restrict my claims to the precise construction shown and described since itis obvious that minor structural details may be varied without departure from my invention. I am the first to embody in a padlock, a stationary element such as a stem, notched permutable members capable of variable settings to effect diametrically opposite positioning of the notches of the permutable members relative to the stationary element, operating members adapted to rotate relative to the stationary element, and means for positively limiting the scope of rotation of the operating members in harmony with the diametrically opposite settings of the notched permutable members; and the claims are to be construed to cover broadly any construction embodying all of said elements.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a permutation pad-lock, the combination of a core comprising a polygonal stem and a series of disks spaced apart from each other, each disk having a notch and also having a central polygonal hole adapted to accommodate said stem-and each disk being changeable relative to the stem to cause the notch normally occupying a position on one side of the stem to occupy a diametrically opposite position on the other side of the stem; a transversely slotted sleeve having diametrically opposite stops terminating the transverse slots of the sleeve; rings complemental to the respective disks of the core and adapted to rotate independently of each other on said sleeve; and radial pins on said rings adapted to traverse the spaces between the disks of said core and engage on the stops of said sleeve to aline the pins on the respective rings with the notches of the respective disks of the core, in harmony with the setting of the disk on the stem of the core.

2. In a permutation pad-lock, the combination of a stationary stem; notched disks capable of variable setting on the stem to effect diametrically opposite positioning of the notch of'each disk; a sleeve surrounding the disks and having diametri head, a stem rigid on the head, a series of notched disks on the stem, spacers between the disks, a guide pin rigid on one of the disks, and a securing device adapted to secure all the disks and spacers on the stem; in combination with a sleeve having a series of arcuate members spaced apart from each other, stops, and a longitudinal slot adapted to accommodate said guide pin; a ring rigid on said sleeve; a series of rings rotative on said sleeve and equipped with pins adapted to traverse the spaces between the arcuate members of the sleeve and the spaces between the disks of the core, and adapted to engage the stops of the sleeve to aline the pins on the sleeve with the notches in the disks of the core, and a cap adapted to close the sleeve and also adapted to prevent displacement of said rotative rings.

4:. In a permutation pad lock, the combination of a sleeve having a series of arcuate members separated by longitudinal spaces; a core adapted to rotate within the sleeve and having a series of notched disks; and a series of rings adapted to surround and slide separately on the sleeve, each ring having a fixed radial pin adapted to traverse the longitudinal spaces between the arcuate members of the sleeve during the sliding of that ring on the sleeve, also adapted to traverse in succession the notches in the disks of the core as said notches in succession come into registry with the longitudinal spaces of the sleeve upon successive rotations of the core; all coacting to facilitate the assembling of the sleeve, the core and the rings.

5. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a core comprising a polygonal stem and a series of disks, each disk having a notch and also having a polygonal hole adapted to accommodate said stem, and each disk being changeable relative to the stem to cause the notch normally occupying a po- 6. In a permutation pad-lock, the combination of a stationary element; notched permutable members capable of variable settings to effect diametrically opposite positioning of the notches of the permutable members relative to the stationary element; operating members adapted to rotate relative to the stationary element; and means for positively limiting the scope of rota- 1( tion of the operating members, in harmony With the diametrically opposite settings of the permutable members.

In Witness whereof vI have hereunto signed my name at Springfield, Illinois, this 20 day. of Ju1y, 1915. V a

I JAMES L. COOK.

Witnesses:

W. E. LEHNE, F. W. OFFER, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissionerof Patents,

Washington, D. G. n 

